Author
Topic: Amazing Race In The News (Read 33989 times)

Here's one piece of news I would welcome. Despite the fact I'm against stunt casting and celebrities in the race, I wouldn't mind if this happened. Apparently USA women's hockey captain Angela Ruggiero is pushing to get on the race with US gold medal-winning gymnast Shawn Johnson. It was reported in today's Sports Business Daily. Unfortunately, the story is blocked behind a paywall, but there is this story from my friend, Tom Hoffarth in the Los Angeles Daily News.

She's already been around the world on philanthropic endeavors, including helping the New York Islanders with a program to help China improve its hockey program. And she's been in Donald Trump's boardroom, lasting until the final three on the 2007 season of "The Apprentice."

So a story in today's Sports Business Daily reveals that Simi Valley's Angela Ruggiero has been pitching her agent to get her a spot on the CBS reality show, "Amazing Race," paired up with U.S. Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, shouldn't be all that surprising.

The SBJ story points on that Ruggiero has built up "an impressive endorsement portfolio" featuring Nike, Visa, Coca-Cola, Easton and Qwest Communications. Shade said that going forward, Ruggiero has a focus on expanding women's hockey with young girls.

"Olympic sports sponsorships aren't always about the money," Shade said. "It's the opportunities they can offer and where they can take her. ..."

It's not like you're going to confuse Angela Ruggiero with Angela Lansbury.

"She's got the goods, and she's got the substance behind her," Shade says of her client. "And she's very good with the press and the media. This is a sport where sponsors every day want to make sure that whomever they choose to have an association with their brands can actually talk and do the messaging correctly. And I think that's one of the reasons they look at her."

As long as they submit an application and a video like everyone else is supposed to, I wouldn't have a problem with it. They wouldn't been pushing for it as much as it sounds unless they were in fact big fans of the show.

I wouldn't be against at, as well, as long as they were fans of the show. Mike White was great, and I don't think anyone really had a problem with him being cast because he was such a huge fan. It's teams like Maria & Tiffany, who were recruited, or Jeff & Jordan, who got on through Executive Meddling, who bug me.

I'd probably be for it in fact, as it's one guaranteed (physically) strong female team.

This should all be in speculation...but I will add that I don't think TAR will let an 18 year old on the race. Also doesn't sound from this article as though Shawn will be in any shape for the next season, as she just had knee surgery 2/16.

Amazing Race China is looking for a number of production roles to be filled immediately.

The show is a team-based, race-structured competition that follows 10 teams through 12 different cities in China as they compete for first place. Along the way they must complete tasks in each city and battle each other to avoid being eliminated.

Production is scheduled to begin in late April/Early May running through mid-June with post-production scheduled to continue until September. Each episode will involve three day shoots in each city with a day break in between.

Donald Trump is taking aim at perennial outstanding reality competition series winner "Amazing Race," the only show to take home the prize since its inception in 2003.

“It’s a shame that 'Amazing Race’ keeps winning, because it doesn’t deserve to win it," Trump tells THR. “It wins every year because they know how to politic the Emmys."

Just so happens that 'Race' is in competition with Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice," which the Donald believes -- shocker -- is having one of its best seasons ever.

He says he fully expects not just an Emmy nomination in the reality competition category (which would be the series' third, the first two being for non-celebrity cycles) but a triumphant win on Aug. 29.

Well, if that pesky "Race" would just get out of his way.

Trump believes the predictability in the reality competition category has contributed to the recent decline in Emmy ratings (though last year’s telecast was up by more than 1 million viewers from 2008).

“They’ve lost credibility,” Trump says of voters. “Instead of shows that deserve to win, they pick 'Amazing Race.' It’s a very sad commentary.”

Perhaps Trump is sore over what happened in 2004, the first year that "Apprentice" and "Race" faced off. Ever assured, Trump recalls he was halfway out of his seat when the Emmy presenter began announcing "Race" as the winner.

"I was standing up to go down there and pick up the Emmy,” he says. "Incredible. It’s a joke. If the Emmys want their ratings back, they have to pick shows that deserve it."

Granted Celebrity Apprentice is the best cycle they have had (In my opinion, at least) But really, it cannot hold a candle to Survivor and Race. Even American Idol is more entertaining than Apprentice.

I only watched Celebrity Apprentice last night because nothing else was really on except the Hallmark Hall of Fame (not interested) and I wanted to (a) see that Australian chef was still on (he was) and to see if they acknowledged Bret's illness (they did, at the end after the closing credits).

Meanwhile, it appears Jerry, Bert and Elise have a pilot for ABC going with some TAR-like elements: Catch Me article

I am not a fan of solicited teams on the race. It gives the aura of "a set-up". No matter how you look at it, people will question the legitimacy of a race peppered with "golden ticket" teams. I loved the globetrotters last season, but I am glad they didn't win. I wish TAR would just go back to its roots and choose the "average Joe" teams.

"I follow 'The Amazing Race,'" Parker tells Zap2it. "I think they were back on their game this past season. It was like the first two seasons, as good as it has ever been, with probably the greatest team that ever competed: the cowboys, because of how they conducted themselves in every country they traveled around.

"I just thought it was the perfect season."

And SJP needs to know what makes a good reality show these days.

The Emmy-winning actress' second sequel to her HBO series hits theaters next Thursday (May 27), and while she's doing bountiful promotion for it, she also has a big stake in a reality-competition show she's executive-producing. She's glad the anticipation for the movie also is letting her bring attention to "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist," which Bravo premieres Wednesday, June 9.

"This is not an opportunity for me to be on screen, nor about money," Parker says, though she appears in the first episode to set 14 artists on the path to the top prize of a museum show and $100,000. "I want people to know how much they can invite art into their home, and how much they're already surrounded by it every single day."

Parker was able to keep tabs on "Work of Art" while filming "*** and the City 2" quite comfortably. In fact, she reports that "coincidentally, the first day of shooting on both was the same day.

"Because we were shooting the movie in the streets, I got to finish early enough to stop by the set of the show and watch the first day of taping, which was thrilling. We'd been talking about it for two years or more, so it was a long time coming. It was great to start the day as Carrie Bradshaw, then trot down to the Chelsea area and this wonderful studio that Bravo built and see what was happening."

(I think the whole thing is silly, but you get a better understanding of the scoring aspect of it in the list. I did notice that the list is not 100% correct because "The Good Wife" is listed at 119 for republicans on the democrat side, but it's missing on the republican side of the list.)

"All these so called reality shows in TV programmes are shameful and distorting our culture. These are not in good taste and affecting people. There are cases of suicide and divorces due to these shows,"BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters outside Parliament.

There should be effective curbs on such shows, he said, adding,"I have raised the issue in the House and it will be raised again in the Parliament till government takes some action."

Some instances of objectionable and obscene content shown in programmes and reality shows telecast on TV channels have been brought to the notice of the government from time to time and action has been taken as per the existing provisions of the Programme and Advertisement Code prescribed under Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rules framed thereunder.

The Government has set up an electronic media monitoring Centre to keep a check on the content telecast on private television channels, which sends reports of violation of programme and advertising codes to Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

"All these so called reality shows in TV programmes are shameful and distorting our culture. These are not in good taste and affecting people. There are cases of suicide and divorces due to these shows,"BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters outside Parliament.

There should be effective curbs on such shows, he said, adding,"I have raised the issue in the House and it will be raised again in the Parliament till government takes some action."

Some instances of objectionable and obscene content shown in programmes and reality shows telecast on TV channels have been brought to the notice of the government from time to time and action has been taken as per the existing provisions of the Programme and Advertisement Code prescribed under Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rules framed thereunder.

The Government has set up an electronic media monitoring Centre to keep a check on the content telecast on private television channels, which sends reports of violation of programme and advertising codes to Information and Broadcasting Ministry.